The Next Contestant
by Chefbabe
Summary: Natsu comes home from a job to find his girlfriend's wardrobe is attracting the wrong kind of attention. Modern AU. NALU.


**_A/N; hey everyone, so this is a Song fic. the inspiration was next contestant by Nickelback. This story is a one shot, I doubt that I will write more for this but I have said that before and been wrong. So we'll see where the plot bunnies lead. for all those following Celestial Mage Wanted my regular update schedule hasn't changed. So with out further ado..._**

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The dim dirty lights that hung low from the exposed support beams on the ceiling did little to illuminate the large room. The red glow from the illuminated neon signs hanging on the crusted old windows did more for the eyes while giving everything inside a red hue. Through the window near the door he spotted her. Her blonde hair, a beacon in the dark room as it shone with any giving light. Doing his routine check list his eyes scrapped down her body looking for any signs of trouble that she could have gotten in to while he was away. Noting that all seemed well he finally noticed her clothes; he cringed at what she was wearing.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath as he reached forward and pulled open the door violently. The creak of the door was blocked out by the heavy guitar rift that was blaring over the sound system.

"Salamander," the maroon haired doorman nodded as he patted the pink haired man's shoulder.

"Acid breath," he returned the gesture as he passed.

Heading straight towards the old man sitting on the bar he nodded his head to the bartender as he sat down.

"How did the job go?" The old man asked as the younger male tsked in annoyance.

"Ya gotta stop givin me those stupid jobs old man," he grunted in irritation running a hand through his spiked pink locks.

"We have been getting fewer and fewer jobs, we take what we can get," Makarov sighed as he looked over at the man next to him his body turned out towards the crowd.

"You know how he gets bored Master. Being a member of the Dragon's he needs some adventure in his life," the white haired bartender laughed as she placed a shot of whiskey next to the pink haired man's elbow as she returned to her previous task of drying out the clean rack of mugs.

The Dragons were the elite force that propelled Makarov's main business forward, each was ridiculously strong and they all had their own specialty. Natsu's specialty was pyrokinetics, a skill he had learned from his father. There was not a person in the country that new more about fire that the pink haired man.

"Mira who gave Luce the make over?" He growled out as his eyes watched her hips sway to the beat of the music, and the other eyes that followed each and every movement.

The tight leather shorts that cut off right at the curve of her ass and two sizes too small t-shirt leaving little to the imagination. Truth be told he preferred the more modest clothes she had worn when he first met her, when the most reveling clothing she wore was a skirt that came just above her knee. _Keep the prevs off of what's mine_ , he thought as his attention returned to the head barmaid.

"Natsu she wanted a makeover," the barmaid sighed wistfully, shaking her head as she switched tasks and began opening up beer bottles and lining them up on the tray on the counter.

"Baby you're back early!" The blonde in question joyfully squealed as she placed her now empty tray on the bar before wrapping her arms around his neck.

Snaking his arms around her waist he brought his lips down on hers roughly, hearing the faint groaning of the other patrons he opened his eyes glaring at all who looked at his girl. All those who were once staring at her in lust quickly turned their heads in fear of retribution.

"The job was chump change, how's Happy?" He asked after finishing the kiss but refusing to let her out of his arms.

"He eats better than I do," the blonde grunted in annoyance as she played with the leather jacket he wore running her hand over the thin wife beater underneath.

Rolling her eyes at the thought of the Russian blue who she had spent the better part of the day trying to corral into his crate so that the handyman could come in to fix the shower.

"I tried every single brand and type of cat food but the only thing he eats is fish. Fresh, raw, Mavis forbid you try to give him frozen fish," she huffed pouting as he shot her a cocky grin.

"Well he has good taste," Natsu joked as he laughed at her huffing.

"He has expensive taste, so Mira offered me the job here. Oh and Mira I need four shots pending," Lucy said happily shouting the last part over Natsu's shoulder watching the bar maid line up the four shots and filling them will water they had died to look like whiskey.

The little trick kept the girls sober and the paying customers happy with high bills as they would all try to see how many shots the girls could do. Truthfully Natsu had hoped that she would just take the open job of helping Levy with the clubs advertising and financials. Tucked away in an office where every other man she came in contact with knew she was his and his alone; but no she had to take the job as a waitress.

"I see that, now about your outfit," he whispered lowly playing with the hem of her shirt.

"But I am covered!" Lucy cried out in confusion as she looked at her boyfriend.

Since her departure from under her father's thumb Lucy had been finding every way possible to rebel against her father and his stanch rules. Her wardrobe being the first to change, but once she started dating Natsu she had toned down the amount of skin she flaunted after he beat a guy in to a coma for asking how much an hour of fun with her would be. The mischievous look in his eyes caused a shutter of pleasure to travel down her spine.

"Exactly," Natsu growled as he reached up for the T-shirt pulling the hem until it came up to her waist. Tearing the back he tied the ends in a knot leaving her midriff and lower back on display. "Now they'll know your mine," he hissed in her ear nibbling at the shell as she collapsed against his chest sighing in bliss.

"Alright you two enough. Lucy has to get back to work," Mira chided with a giggle as Natsu turned and growled at her.

"oh the scary fire dragon," Cana sarcastically as she came up behind Lucy who quickly downed the shots of colored water.

"Hey Mira, can I have another round for my table?" The brunette asked as Lucy picked up the tray of beers and made her way back into the crowd throwing a wink in Natsu's direction.

The tattoo on her lower back flashed in the light. Written out in flowing script , Property of the fire dragon, erupted in gold and red flames filling the space, as red scales flanked each of her hips wrapping around to the front with just a few scales splattered over her stomach.

"No way she let you brand her?!" Cana gasped in shock as she watched the blonde pour a beer over a customer's head for grabbing her ass.

Making a mental note to strangle the jackass later Natsu's answered the card dealer annoyance seeping into his voice, "She mine isn't she?"

"She is her own person! You're no better than that father she ran away from," Cana hissed as she waited for her tray to be filled.

"Hey, I take care of her. Gave her a place to stay, food on the table, and protection from that douche. I asked her to be mine and she said yes. She has more freedom now than she ever did with that lowlife. She wanted the mark," Natsu growled in anger as he glared at the brunette who glared right back at him.

"Cana go back to your table. And watch the guy on the end he's stacking the deck," Mira said gruffly as she placed the last beer on the tray for the bar's dealer.

With a nod off her head the brunette leaned over the counter grabbing a fresh deck of cards placing them on her tray before picking it up and walking off.

"Ignore her Natsu she's still mad that Bacchus left," Mira spoke as she went back to pouring a round of shots while she had a sort conversation with her sister.

Looking over the crowed he possessively growled as he watched Cana smacked Lucy on the ass as she walked by.

The blonde nearly dropping her tray, "Cana! Watch it!" She hissed over the music as the brunette laughed happily.

"Never darling, too bad you went for pinky over there. Would've loved to get me some of that myself," Cana cackled while the guys in the bar went nuts at the exchange.

Tightening his fingers in to a fist he stared down at the ink across his knuckles, his initials E.N.D. sat in bold black gothic script on his tanned flesh each letter filling the space on his middle three fingers.

"Natsu, she may be yours but don't put another paying customer in a coma," the old man sighed as he hopped down off the bar.

"No promises Gramps. Tell metal head that the Sabers need his experience," Natsu grunted as he turned around to down his drink tapping the bar asking for another.

"Really how bad?" Makarov asked suspiciously as the pink haired man reached in to his jackets hidden pocket.

"This bad," he said tossing his master the bag of bills. "Non-sequenceal, almost a hundred thousand in there," he huffed as he watched the old man ponder the implications.

"Trackers?" The old man asked as the younger one shook his head.

"Watched them pulling out of the atms myself. Then traded it around at the docks just like you taught me. And that's just the deposit," Natsu said proudly as the old man smiled.

"Good, good, I think I'll go call Sting about their issue," Makarov said smiling as he tucked the bag away.

Turning around the pink haired man growled as he watched one man corner his girl, his friends lending support. Banging his hand on the bar he motioned to Mira who growled in anger as well.

"You get her out of there, I'll call Erza," Mira hissed as she motioned for Cobra to help. Making his way towards the men surrounding his girl he heard their conversation.

"Come on girly, we'll pay you well," the one who had her backed into the corner hissed seductively as Lucy's grip on the tray that separated her body from his tightened.

"You better leave me alone before I start shouting," she wanted as she waited for a lull in the music.

"Please, a girl like you? Who would care?" The man hissed in annoyance as he ripped the tray from her hands tossing it away and proceeded to cup her breasts.

"Hey ass wipe!" Natsu shouted as the music stopped garnering the attention of the entire bar. The man in question turned to look at him his hands still on Lucy. "You better let her go or you'll be leaving in a body bag," the pink haired man hissed as he removed his coat. The red scaled tattoo that adorned the left side of his body that ran from his clavicle to his pelvic bone showed through the thin white top.

"Shit boss, you'd better do as he says," one of the lackeys hissed in fear as he began backing away.

"Tck, no one messes with twilight ogre," he growled as he kept Lucy pinned

"Hey salamander ya need help?" The gruff voice of Gajeel asked over the sound system as the music cut off.

"There's only ten, why make it harder on them?" The pink haired man called out over his shoulder as he watched most of the others blanch in fear.

"Salamander, isn't he the guy who took out phantom Lord?" One asked his voice quaking.

"Piss off Salamander this one is ours," the leader sneered before a sudden pain in his groin caused him to double over releasing his hold on the blonde.

Quickly moving away she felt Natsu grab her arm stopping her from moving past him. "I'm okay," she whispered as he pulled her against him burring his nose on her hair he took three deep breaths before he adjusted his hold on her.

"See this," he hissed pointing to the exposed tattoo on Lucy. "That means she's mine and I don't take kindly to assholes touching what's mine," Natsu hissed as he pushed Lucy behind him and jumped in to the center of the group of men.

* * *

"Lucy I am here to defend your honor," Erza cried out not ten minutes later as she looked at the sight before her.

Natsu had Lucy wedged between himself and the bar, the look on his face indicating that he would not be letting her go anytime soon. The group of men that had been harassing her were all laying in a pile on top of each other groaning in agony. All of them sporting large purple, green, and yellow bruises while a few seemed to have swollen joints and appendages that were not supposed to bend at the angle they were.

"Natsu I thought the master said no more coma patients?" Mira questioned as she watched half of the patrons leave, most of them with fear on their faces. The pile of men who were in the brawl were slowly but surely finally coming to and limping their way out of the bar as fast as they could.

"Hey only one of them is in a coma and that asshole put his hands on my girl. He's lucky I held back" he growled as he watched the man who Lucy had dumped the beer on try to sneak out with the crowd. Sneering Natsu grabbed him by the collar holding him back as he slammed him against the bar. Grinning madly he looked down at the trembling man as he spoke, "here's the next contestant."


End file.
